The Penn's Grove record., 1887-03-05
A R GHOST STORY.

prisoner, have you any objection to
be tried by me as president or any
member of this court-martial?" asked
the 6eld-o6lcer who had been detailed
for the duty Of presiding e the
court.
mo, SIR" L answered; for it was
my most unenviable situation that
morning to be brought to the court
room for trial, having been put back
by my commanding officer a few days
before on a charge Of having been
asleep on my post while on sentry; an
offence characterized liz my indictment
as conduct In prejudice to good erder
and military discipline"
The members composing the court
were then sworn, and the trial pro-
ceeded In the cumbrous fashion pecu-
liar to military tribunals, the president
laboriously writing down every word Of
evidence as it was uttered. The ser
peant who had been In charge OF the
guard at the time of my alleged offence
was the principal witness against me,
and he began to describe, with gro
tesouely ungrammatical volubility, how
be had found me stretched on the
ground asleep; but was at once pulled
up short by the president. who ordered
him to say what he had to say In as
few words as possible.
"Was the prisoner soberY" asked one
OF the officers when the sergeant had
finished his evidence.
"Quite sober, SIR" replied the man
Of stripes.
The men who composed the rellet
having corroborated the sergeant's
statement, / was called upon for my
defence. -.
therefore narrated to the court that
shortly before my two hours on duty
had expired, l saw a white figure car
rying a drawn sword pass close TO my
post; and that being of q nervous. ex-
citable temperament. l was SO fright
ened that l fell to the ground n an
unconscious state, and only recovered
when l was aroused by the sergeant OF
the guard.
"Prisoner," remarked the president,
sin my twenty years. experience OF the
army, / have served on numerous
courts-martial, and have heard all
kinds Of ingenious defences put forward
by men In your present position III ex-
cuse of the offences with which they
were charged; but your line Of defence
Is the most remarkable that has come
under my observation. Who, do you
think, will credit a story Of that de-
scription? Assuredly not l for one.
Now, prisoner" continued the major
In a kindly tone, ~ must advise you
that your action in submitting to the
court a statement of that description
is extremely iniudicious. You will do
yourself a positive injury by perseverlng
In 1t, not only in regard to the probable
extent Of your punishment, but also to
o u reputation as a soldier. 1t Will
be far better for you to simply own
that you we're asleep. You are a young
man who has served but six months IN
the regiment; so, under the circum-
stances, assuming that you adopt my
suggestion, which is assuredly meant
for your good, the court may think fit,
consistently with the duty demanded
of 1t by the hard and fast requirements
of military law, to recommend a much
lighter sentence of imprisonment than
would be administered to an older and
more experienced member OF the SER
vice."
~ can only tell the truth. SIR" l
urged.
"That, then, Is your de~fence-that
you were frightened by the figure yoa
SAW" asked the officer In q tone OF
vexation.
"That is my defence, sir" | replie1.
"Very well," said the president.
writing down my statement. Escort,
remove the prisoner. Stopl About
his character? Call the captain of his
company"
My captain answered the summons,
stated that my conduct had been most
exemplary, after which | received the
command: "Left turn, quick marchl''
and was removed to the guard-room;
and the members of the court-martial
began their deliberations on the dura-
ton of the period OF Imprisonment
which they meant to administer to me.
| shall now relate the facts in con
nection with the appearance OF the
''fgure" alluded to. at / O'Clock on
the morning of my arrest, l was posted
on sentry In front of a wall which had
been on the face of a cliff overhanging
the beach. Why that particular spot
required guarding. when any attempt
on the part of a soldier to break out OF
barracks would be equivalent to com
hitting suicide. as the rock had a sheer
unbroken descent of $50 feet, was a
matter of puzzling speculation to the
men Of all regiments which in turn
occupied the quarters / refer to. A
tradition, however, which was related
to me by an aged veteran who oficiated
as a barrack laborer. threw some light
on the subject. Many years before,
the colonel OF a regiment which was
about to leave the town in order TO
embark for India, placed a sentry on
the spot, to prevent his men from
throwing over the cliff the rubbish that
accumu.ates in changing quarters; and
the relieving regiment finding this mar
on duty, had supplied his place without
troubling themselves about the why
and wherefore; the post became in
consequence a permanent institution,
and a sentry guards the wall to this
day.
The morning on which / was on
guard was exceedingly cold and frosty.
The noon hone brightly, throwing the
dark shadow of the adjoining officers
quarters halfway across the parade